Are you looking for the best places to eat in Kirtipur?
You are in the right place!
As you might have already read on my blog: I love Kirtipur.
Kirtipur was one of the first places my husband and I visited after we moved to Nepal. In fact, we could see Kirtipur from the roof terrace of our very first apartment!
We often still head to Kirtipur just to look around, enjoy the peace and quiet and of course the beautiful streets and amazing restaurants.
To help you make the most of your trip to Kirtipur, I have put together a list of the best places to eat in Kirtipur.
Tip: If you like Nepali food I would really recommend getting Ayla: A Feast of Nepali Dishes from Terai, Hills and Himalayas which is the book by famous Nepali chef Santosh Shah or Rana Cookbook which is a cookbook I have myself and combines history and food to teach about the dishes eaten by the Rana family, one of the richest and politically most important families throughout the 19th and 20th century.
Newah Lahana – A Culinary Voyage Through Time
Newah Lahana is one of the famous restaurants of Kirtipur.
What is so interesting about Newah Lahana is that it almost feels like you are stepping back in time.
At Newah Lahana you will be able to taste some of the best Newari dishes. Although I am not a big fan of everything they serve, I do think it is amazing that they keep these rich Newari traditions alive through the medium of food.
The kitchen at Newah Lahana is always busy and bustling and the servers are wearing traditional newari dress.
One of the dishes you absolutely NEED to try when visiting Newah Lahana is the Samay Baji which is the Newari counterpart to the Dahl Baht trekkers will be eating by the buckets on their trip. Samay Baji is served cold with lots of different accompaniments and flavours. Sure these flavours might not be for everyone but it is worth a try!
But obviously having food at Newah Lahana is actually not just about the food but it is also about the experience and – for me at least – drinking the homemade Chyang. I am a big fan of Chyang which is a local rice wine that can get you pretty drunk (yes I do speak from experience).
Other dishes you might want to try at this amazing restaurant in Kirtipur are the Chiken Sekuwa (this is a chicken skewer), the Chicken Choila (spicy chicken appetiser), the chicken Chili (spicy and sweet), the MoMo and of course the Raksi and the Chyang.
You can find the complete menu of Newa Lahana on their website.
Layaku Durbar Restro & Heritage Home
Another restaurant in Kirtipur you might want to give a try is Layaku Durbar Restro & Heritage Home.
Sure this humble restaurant is definately not as popular as the famous Newah Lahana or Sa Sa Twa, but I really like the food so I wanted to include it as second.
One of the dishes I would recommend you try is the steamed buff momo. These are just incredibly delishes. The momo liquor is great as well!
Another dish I would recommend you order is the Chatamari. Chatamari was once explained to me as a ”Nepali Dosa” but that would do the Chatamari a disservice (Don’t get me wrong, I love Dosa, but Chatamari and Dosa are very different). it is kind of a thin pancake with vegetables, sometimes meat and often an egg in the middle. I quite like it as a snack!
Layaku Durbar Restro & Heritage Home has quite a rustic charm to it. It’s cheaper than Sa Sa Twa and Newah Lahana and the food is just as nice. If you are not into the whole cultural heritage aspect of those two restaurants, just come here and have some decent and nice Newari food.
You can find an example of the menu of Layaku Durbar via this link.
Sa Sa Twa – Probably the most famous restaurant
Sa Sa Twa has to be the absolute most famous restaurant in Kirtipur.
In fact, people from the valley travel to Kirtipur just to go to Sa Sa Twa. What is more, whenever there is a new cohort of colleagues starting at my husband’s school, they are always taken to Sa Sa Twa on one of the first weekends!
And it is honestly easy to see why Sa Sa Twa is so popular: the whole setting is gorgeous.
You can choose between low tables or sitting and eating on woven grass matts. The restaurant is built around a gorgeous open courtyard in typical Newar style, and the servers are wearing typical Newari dress.
Again, when at Sa Sa Twa, I would recommend trying the Bara and the Chatamari as well as the Mo Mo. I also love their Aloo Chop which is almost like a small potato patty. So yummy!
Another dish to try is the peanut sadeko which is a spicy peanut salad. It’s an amazing appetiser to eat with a nice cold beer.
I would recommend going on a weekday as it tends to be quieter then. During the weekends it can get quite busy and Sa Sa Twa is also a music venue. If, on the other hand, you are looking forward to exploring the Newar food in a more bustling environment, I would recommend Saturday afternoon as it is one of the busiest times in the restaurants. Oh and don’t worry – they will have space for you as this place is HUGE!
Another thing that is quite nice about Sa Sa Twa is that staff is quite happy to talk you through some of the dishes on the menu. Even when I go there will be dishes that I have never heard of in the 4 years that I have been living in Nepal – and yes, then I will need to ask one of the servers for help.
Is Sa Sa Twa the best Newari food in Kirtipur? No, probably not. In fact, it’s just as good as the first two restaurants in this list. But it is the setting and the building that mean Sa Sa Twa is an absolutely AMAZING experience!
I would normally link to the website of Sa Sa Twa but when you clink on Menu it doesn’t work. If you want an example of the menu and prices of Sa Sa Twa you can have a look at this picture of the menu.
Everest momo and naan house
If you are not into the whole ”cultural” thing but just want some good, honest and especially cheap food in Kirtipur – just head to Everest MoMo and Naan House.
Sure this place won’t win any Michelin stars anytime soon. But the food is great. I would also say that it is not the neatest or most modern place, but if you are looking for a Nepali experience then this place is worth a try.
The restaurant is located on the Kirtipur ringroad. Don’t be alarmed by this because the ringroad is nothing like those in Europe or South-East Asia. It’s just a normal road that happens to loop around Kirtipur. The Kirtipur Ringroad has a number of local shops and restaurants. You will find Everest MoMo and Naan House next to the Nepal Investment Bank.
In fact, a few doors down you can also find House Of Glory – Art & Gallery Chya Pasa which I would really recommend if you are just looking for a coffee or a tea!
At Everest MoMo and Naan House you can try the Chicken MoMo. I would recommend trying the Jhol MoMo. Jhol MoMo is MoMo in a soup – it is my absolute favourite way of eating MoMo!
If you are not into MoMo you can also try the Paneer Butter Masala or the Aloo Gobi!
You can find the menu of Everest MoMo and Naan House via this link
Temple View Restaurant – My go to place
Last but not least I also want to recommend Temple View.
Temple View is probably the place my husband and I visit most. Whenever the mountains are visible and the weather is nice, we try to go up there. You have an amazing view over the Kathmandu Valley and the Langtang Range. And, as the name suggests, you will also have an amazing view over a temple. This is the Umma Maheshwor temple. You can read more about this in my article on the best things to do in Kirtipur.
Sure, there are some problems with Temple View. I would say that the service is overall quite slow, but that is something I am happy to deal with because of the amazing views.
What would I recommend ordering? Well, their Samaya Baji is great. I love their version of the Sambar (I know it is not Sambar but you know what I mean) as it is slightly sweet with potato. I also really like their chutneys.
Their Jhol Momo is also great. Jhol Momo is my favourite way to eat MoMo and although it isn’t the best I have ever had (that price goes to Gurkhas Grill) it is still a good one.
I would recommend heading over to Temple view after visiting the Umma Mahshwor Temple – even if it is just for a drink. The views are stunning and it is a great place to sit and watch the world go by for half an hour.